Admission requirements
Familiarity with the history and politics of North and South Korea;
Interest in the politics of culture and cultural production;
Openness to controversial ideas and willingness to debate;
Knowledge of the Korean language is advantageous.
Description
North Korea intrigues. This fascination is partly a result of the fact that standard approaches often fail to make adequate sense of it. In this seminar, we zoom in on North Korea as a state where propaganda is a core function of the state and culture is subordinate to narratives of revolution and exemplary leadership. But at the same time, we look also at the cultural counter-narratives presented in opposition to the North Korean state by “defectors” – North Koreans who have migrated abroad. Accordingly, this seminar analyses verbal and visual narratives in both North Korean and defector-migrant literature, film, posters and paintings. It also pays attention to the political and economic organization of cultural production, primarily in North and South Korea.
Course objectives
To analyze North Korean state and counter-state cultural artifacts and productions;
To write critical reviews that place artifacts and productions in their proper context;
To develop collaboration and presentation skills;
To engage in critical discussion and debate of conflicting ideas about North Korea;
To hone heuristic skills: locate and critically evaluate North Korea-related source materials.
Timetable
The timetable is available on the Asianstudies website
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Course Load
classroom participation: 26hrs;
seminar preparation: 65hrs
writing assignments: 12hrs
presentation preparation: 6hrs
essay: 31hrs
Total: 140 hours
Assessment
Weighing
1 assignment – critical review (1000 words) of a North Korea-related cultural product (30%);
1 presentation (10mins; subject TBD; 10%);
1 final essay (4,000 words; 60%)
The final grade is the weighted average of all components. To pass the course, students must receive an overall mark of 5.5 (=6) or higher and a passing grade for the paper assignment (5.5 or higher).
Resit
Revised and expanded (8,000 words for 10 EC and 6,000 words for 5 EC) version of the final paper to be handed in by February 1.
Exam review
Students may request an oral elucidation of the assessment within 30 days after publication of the grade.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be intensively used.
Reading list
Reading list to be posted on Blackboard
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available in English and Dutch